Tag Archives: a believable lie

Dialogue: The Good and The Bad!

Last week’s blog was all about character development and using the 3P model to consider physical, psychological and philosophical qualities to flesh out characters. Getting to know a character deep down is necessary before you can turn that character loose … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Writing, Authors' Social Media Support Group, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Dialogue Techniques, Good and Bad Dialogue Techniques, Good Dialogue Development, Growing As A Writer, How Fictional Characters Should Speak, How to Write Dialogue in Fiction, Learning the Art of Writing, Proper Use of the Written Word, Protagonist Development, The Art and Craft of Dialogue Writing, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Better Dialogue, Writing Dialogue, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fictional Character Development Techniques

When people learn that I write fiction, they often ask how I develop the concepts for my main characters. The answer is simple: from observing people in their everyday lives. The long answer, however, is much more complex. While it’s … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Writing, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character development, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Counterfeit Drugs and the Internet, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Effective and Compelling Fictional Heroes, Developing Writing Skills, Fictional Character Development, Growing As A Writer, Learning the Art of Writing, Pharmacists as Protagonists, Protagonist Development, Steps to Developing Great Fictional Characters, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Writing Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Makings of a Hero

There’s nothing better than a memorable protagonist in any story, and the good guy in a murder mystery saves the day by solving the crime and bringing the perpetrator to justice. So for the next couple of weeks, I’d like … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Writing, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Effective and Compelling Fictional Heroes, Developing Writing Skills, Fictional Character Development, Growing As A Writer, Learning the Art of Writing, Protagonist Development, Protagonists, Steps to Developing Great Fictional Characters, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Why A Writer Should Be Thankful!

Here in the United States it’s Thanksgiving time—Thursday, November 27th to be exact—and it’s a day of fantastic food feasts, with the bonus of a long holiday weekend ahead. But more importantly, it’s a time to reflect on what makes … Continue reading

Posted in A Holiday Wish, A Writer's Thanksgiving Blog, About James J. Murray, About Writing, All About Writing, Being Thankful Every Day, Being Thankful For Your Life, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing Writing Skills, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Happy Thanksgiving Blog, Special Perks of Being A Writer, Thankful For Being A Writer, Why A Writer Should Be Thankful!, Writing As A Special and Rewarding Career | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Chemical Weapons At A Glance!

Although my blogs are eclectic in that I sometimes write about pharmacy issues, at other times I blog about interesting methods to kill off characters in novels and sometimes I write about…well, about writing. Since many of my blogs involve … Continue reading

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, About Writing, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Categories of Harmful Substances for Humans, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Choosing How a Character Should Die in a Story, Creating Emotional Drama in a Murder Scene, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Developing Better Writing Skills, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, Harassing Agents and Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Incapacitating Agents and Murder, Interesting Murder Weapons, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Lethal Agents and Murder, Murder Weapon Groupings and Categories, Murder Weapons, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Why Women Own Guns, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Laughing Man

It’s been said that the best fiction is based on fact. And, no matter how large or small that tidbit of information is, it plants the seed that the writer develops as the story arc. It’s the spark that creates … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Airplane Murders, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Event and Ideas Develop into Short Stories, Mastering Your Craft, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting Short Stories, Short Story Development, Sources of Story and Plot Ideas, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Inert Gases Can Lead To Murder!

Awhile back, I saw an interesting murder plot on television. The scenario involved a wealthy man who had his home office designed such that it was similar to an impenetrable vault—both for security and privacy purposes. The room was so … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Chemicals Used For Murder, Deadly Inert Gases For Fire Suppression, Developing Better Writing Skills, Difficult to Solve Murders, Fire Suppression Systems Used for Murder, Halon Gas and Murder, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Inert Gases and Murder, Inert Gases and Murder Plots, Instruments of Death, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Murder without Evidence of Foul Play, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plotting Murder Scenes, Secure Room as a Murder Weapon, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Walking Corpse Syndrome

I admit that both my wife and I love to watch some of the medical thrillers and police procedural shows on television. We record them and, when time permits, we take a break from life and immerse ourselves into the … Continue reading

Posted in A Non-Murder Plot, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Almost Dead, Almost in a Vegetative State, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scenes, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of Killing, Cotard Delusion, Cotard's and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Cotard's and Distorted Body Image, Cotard's Syndrome, Developing Better Writing Skills, Fictional Character Development, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Jules Cotard, Living Dead Disease, Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Murder, People Who Live in a Graveyard, Plot Development, Plotting Murder Scenes, Science-Based Zombies, The Delirium of Negation, The Medical Zombie State, The Psychology of Murder, The Science of Murder, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Syndrome, The Zombie Disease, Treatments for Cotard's Syndrome, Treatments for Walking Dead Syndrome, Walking Dead in Writing, Zombie Wannabe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

MURDER – The True Definition!

The criminal act known as MURDER is defined in a number of ways, but in most references the definition is distilled to the following words: an unlawful killing with malice. The words unlawful and malice give the term its defining … Continue reading

Posted in a killer gene, About James J. Murray, About Writing, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Defining Murder, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Murder - The True Definition, Murder is Defined, Murder Weapons, Neuroscience and Murder, Plotting Murder Scenes, Reasons Why People Kill, Reasons Why People Murder, The Killer Gene, The Psychology of Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools for Murder, Tools of Murder, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Saxitoxin and Ciguatera – More Killers From The Sea

Last week I blogged about pufferfish and the lethal tetradotoxin that they contain, and we discussed their use as possible murder weapons. Today I want to talk about a couple of other interesting sea toxins that could be incorporated into … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, All About Writing, Bio-Defense, Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Ciguatera, Ciguatera and Folklore Medicine, Ciguatera and Marine Microalgae, Ciguatera and Murder, Ciguatera Poisoning, Contact Poisons, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Drugs and Terrorism, Drugs Used to Murder, Flaccid Paralysis, Heat Resistant Poisonings, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Murder Weapons, Murder With Drugs, Neurological Poisons, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, Paralytic Shellfish Toxins, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisons That Mimic Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Pufferfish and Murder, Pufferfish Poisoning, Sarin Gas, Saxitoxin, Saxitoxin and Biological Terrorist Weapons, Saxitoxin and Murder, Saxitoxin and Suicide, Saxitoxin as Bioweapons, Saxitoxin Poisoning, Severe Food Allergies, STX, Tetradotoxin, The Science of Murder, Toxins From Shellfish, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment